Virtual tour of the gardens

The Wood

Located above the gardens, the wood occupies around 9 hectares. It is a pleasant place to stroll and offers a very different view of the gardens, looking down on them through plant cover.

From the wood, visitors can observe the entire garden and see the village of Villandry with its 12th century Romanesque church.

A breakthrough in the foliage reveals the garden. From here, the view is breathtaking on the music room.

The woods are a haven of greenery for the Villandry estate. It covers the hillside.

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When we think of Villandry, we think immediately and exclusively of the château and gardens. It is important to remember that Villandry is also a majestic estate that could not exist without a forest. This forest provided a natural resource for construction and heating; it was also a game reserve of game, as hunting was the lord’s privilege. As such, the presence of a wood has been a decisive factor in establishing a seigneurial residence throughout the ages, and although it is not the only factor that explains the location of the castellany of Colombiers in the 11th century, and its subsequent acquisition by Jean Breton in the 16th century, the wood is one of the reasons that the Château de Villandry, its gardens and its village exist.

Today, the wood covers almost 9 hectares. Its location is similar to where it was in the 19th century, as evidenced by the cadastral plan commissioned by Pierre Laurent Hainguerlot. On it, along the wall of the Orangery, we can see the “clos des Gaudinières*” with an area of 3 hectares crossed by four straight avenues, which for several decades was the only trace of the woods at Villandry. In 2024, Henri Carvallo, the current owner of the estate, was able to add the plot identified as the “coteau du Château” (“hillside of the Château”) with an area of 6 hectares.

What does the term “gaudinière” mean?

The term “gaudinière” comes from the Germanic “waldia” which became “gaudia” then “gaudin” which gave rise to the french term “gaudinière”. “Waldia” means forest or small forest, while “gaudin” means wooded land in Old French. The spelling “godinière”, a term that refers to bocage or wooded countryside, is also sometimes used. (Source: CNRTL)

La cadastre napoléonien commandé par Pierre Laurent Hainguerlot montre le domaine de Villandry tel qu'il était au XVIIIe siècle après les transformations apportées par le marquis de Castellane dont les jardins à la française et le bois.

Walking in the woods allows you to step off the beaten track and enjoy a panoramic view of the gardens, different to the view from the terrace of the mediaeval keep. It highlights the contrast between wild nature and gardens, the epicentre of tamed nature.
In 2003, a wooden viewpoint was added to the wood, reached by a steep but charming path, under the cover of tall trees.

In the spring of 2021, five beehives were installed in the gardens of Villandry, on a terrace on the edge of the forest, by beekeeper Michael Preteseille (Le Rucher de la Dame Blanche).

Botanical composition of the wood at the Château de Villandry

The wooded part of the estate is part of a larger ensemble called the “Forest of Villandry”. Located on a plateau that peaks at an altitude of 98 m, it overlooks the château and the gardens. In its acidic (podzolic) soil, which is regularly saturated with water (hydromorphic), lime, oak, maple, hornbeam, beech and acacia trees grow, with pine trees introduced later on a small section of the plot.